


Not built in a day

by s_a_b_i_n_e



Series: Malec Oneshots (smut-free) [2]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alec Lightwood Deserves Nice Things, Good Boyfriend Magnus Bane, Hurt Alec Lightwood, Insecure Alec Lightwood, M/M, Magnus Bane Loves Alec Lightwood, Malec, christmas in july
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-30
Updated: 2020-07-30
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:47:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25612300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/s_a_b_i_n_e/pseuds/s_a_b_i_n_e
Summary: While visiting a Christmas market Alec needs to be comforted and Magnus is the loving partner everybody deserves.
Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Series: Malec Oneshots (smut-free) [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1854829
Comments: 4
Kudos: 75





	Not built in a day

The smell of bratwurst and crêpes was hanging in the air when the two men stepped out of the portal. They left the door entrance they had arrived in and were quickly surrounded by a crowd of people who were talking in different languages from all over the world. Different kinds of Christmas songs were batteling in the air. 

A cold wind bit into Alec's face and made him push his scarf up to his nose. He sent a worried look over to Magnus who was wearing a warm winter coat but nothing on his head, the glorious hair spiked up perfectly in his usual fashion. "Are you sure you don't need a hat?" asked the taller man, concern woven into his words. The warlock laughed, tossing his head back. "My magic will keep me warm. Don't freat," he said amused. His shadowhunter was a fierce warrior, he the High Warlock of Brooklyn, and still the lovely man feared his boyfriend to catch a common cold.

They drifted with the moving sea of people and passed little market stalls that offered everything a hungry or cold body might crave. Alec enjoyed the storefronts that were decorated with Christmas trees, baubles, lametta, and stars. The houses seemed to be a wild mixture of old and new architecture, but the soft light of Christmas decorations that span over the road width strangely connected everything like missing pieces of a beautifully distorted puzzle.

Alec smiled, feeling Magnus' hand in his. Their leather gloves were slippery but their grip was strong yet tender, just ensuring that they would not get lost in a foreign city Alec didn't even know the name of. 

Arriving in a more open space Magnus lead his boyfriend to the side, making him aware of a large Gothic-style church. The portal was richly decorated with statuary and a beautiful rose window, two towers framing it all. The younger man's eyes roamed the impressive facade.

"It's St. Lawrence Church. They started building it around 1250. It contains one of the largest pipe organs in the world," the older man explained. "We're here for a concert?" the younger man asked, excitement in his voice. "No," his boyfriend answered with a little chuckle. "I know that you enjoy music but right now I would be a bit concerned that you'd miss half of it sleeping on my shoulder," he said with a wink. "And as important good sleep is ... after the last eventful days I thought it more important to feed you good food, warm your belly with deliciousness, and give you a glimpse of one of my favourite Christmas markets."

At that Alec's face brightened and his lips formed a big grin. "Where are we?" he asked what felt like the millionth time. "Nuremberg in Germany," Magnus answered, mirroring his boyfriend's face. The whole day he had thought about all the good things he would feed to his shadowhunter. Some things would be familiar, but some new.

They left the church behind and followed the flow that seemed to pull the people downhill. They only paused on a small plaza where the movement stalled. Alec was tall enough to look past most of the people around them. The bottleneck opened to a large place where long market stalls created narrow alleys, repleted with people pushing each other, standing foot-to-foot.

Alec swallowed hard. He didn't like to be pushed around, not outside of training sessions. His face darkened, a lingering panic building in his stomach. When he realised that Magnus was eying him, he tried to put on a brave face but failed miserably. The older man understood and pulled him back in an instant, leading him backwards to the small plaza they just had left behind. 

They stopped in front of a large window exposing wooden figurines for sale. Magnus lifted both of his hands to cup Alec's face, slowly stroking the cheeks with his thumbs. "Are you all right, Alexander?" he asked, concern colouring his words. "I'm fine," the younger man said. They both knew this wasn't the truth. But old habits die hard.

The warlock just kept looking into his boyfriend's eyes, knowing that he had to wait until Alec was ready to speak. But he should have known, Magnus scolded himself. His beloved could deal with everything while being out on a mission. But he was also vulnerable outside of this context, a side he was more and more comfortable to share with the man he loved. 

Alec didn't like crowds. It might be his shadowhunter training, the drill to never be unguarded. But Magnus also sensed that it wasn't just that. In the past, Alec needed to secure more than just his and his sibling's survival while going for a hunt. He had guarded intrinsic parts of his whole being against the rest of the world before his coming out. And even though he now led a freer life since Magnus was part of it, all these years of self-denial had left deep scars on his soul.

Magnus sighed when he realised that Alec wouldn't speak. The warlock straightened himself and took his boyfriend's hand. "I'm starving," the older man exclaimed. "What about you?" Alec's eyes blinked in confusion, his mouth still wasn't able to form words. The silence had given way to shame crawling all over his body. Why couldn't he just be like everybody else, enjoying the moment? Not for the first time, Alec asked himself why his centuries-old boyfriend wanted to be with him. 

When darker thoughts wanted to make themselves emerging Alec felt a tug on his hand and heard Magnus saying, "You need to eat a snowball!" Looking totally confused he followed his boyfriend over the small bridge they had crossed earlier and let himself be tugged to a small bakery serving their customers through an open window. The sweets presented were chocolate covered balls, not fully round, the surface waved. The balls that would barely fit in his big hands were offered in different varieties of chocolate and toppings.

"They are a local speciality," Magnus explained. "Fränkische Schneebälle." Alec had learnt a bit of German and now realised that this pastry was actually called 'snowball'. He smiled shyly. He loved sweets and his boyfriend knew it too well. "I take the milk chocolate with coconut," he said. 

They sat on the bridge's wall enjoying the crisp, sweet dough. It was impossible not to leave small crumbs all over their jackets. But they didn't care. They listened to a children's choir singing and Magnus started to hum the melodies of the songs he knew. Alec smiled. His boyfriend always said that he never ceased to amaze him. Alec thought it was the other way around.

When they had finished the warlock stepped close to his boyfriend, magically cleaning both of them with a small movement of his hand. Then he gave his shadowhunter a soft kiss and asked, "Better?" Alec nodded in agreement but eying the bottleneck he just had escaped a few minutes ago.

"It's a shame that the whole world had the same idea to get here tonight," Magnus said in a dramatic voice. "I fear the only way to save this endeavour is to get a Hot Toddy." "Now you want to go to Scotland?" Alec asked, shaking his head in a mixture of disbelief and amusement. "Nope," said Magnus with the widest grin possible. 

He manoeuvred the younger man across the small plaza and led him to the back of the houses that framed the Christmas market. Strolling on the pavement they could still hear and smell everything but more subdued. They ignored a street that was one of the main entrances and kept on walking until Magnus led them around the house they just had passed. They turned another corner and Alec could see that they were on the other side of the Christkindl's market, but separated from it.

The two men entered a small plaza with market stalls loosely scattered unlike the strict rows on the main market. The odours were different as well. The older man took a look at his boyfriend who seemed to be relaxed. A relieved breath left Magnus' chest, happy that he had guessed right that this part wouldn't be as overcrowded.

Alec looked around. Every stall was unique. "This is the market created by the twin cities of Nuremberg. Lucky me, Glasgow is one of them." With these words, he went straight to the stall with the saltire flag. Alec followed him, shaking his head no when Magnus asked him if he wanted to try the hot flavoured whisky. 

He strolled from stall to stall, admiring the handwork and traditional gifts from all around the world. There was even an American stall. At the Israeli one, Alec ordered a non-alcoholic hot drink with orange flavour. He then walked back to Magnus who had watched him from afar while enjoying his own drink.

"The whole world in such a small place," Alec said. "The best hot drinks included. What's not to like?" Magnus added. The shadowhunter smiled amused. His boyfriend surely was an expert on that. "Do you want to keep the mug or should we return it?" Magnus asked. "Is it okay to keep them?" Alec replied staggered. "But of course, my love," the warlock confirmed.

He turned, eying the entrance behind Alec, pondering if the stream of people would be too much for his boyfriend. But the flow was easy and he offered his hand which Alec quickly grabbed.

They left the small market place and entered a cobblestone road that rose slowly at first but then became steeper. On top, they could see a castle illuminated against the night sky. "It's a beautiful view from up there," Magnus remarked as they started to climb the stairs leading up to the entrance. 

When they found a big terrace surrounded by a wide stonewall, Magnus leant into Alec's side, putting his head on the taller man's shoulder. They stood there in silence for some time, the Christmas market's noise subtle but far away.

Alec gazed into the distance, seeing the radiant city below him in a blur. He thought about what just had happened down there. The shame was still remnant in his limbs.

"What is it?" Magnus asked worriedly. "It's just ...," Alec tried. "One moment I'm happy and free. And the next I'm so broken." He didn't meet his boyfriend's gaze. "I mean, I know where this is coming from. But sometimes I wonder if it will always be that way or if it is going to be better. Can there truly grow something good out of all the misery that I went through? Will I ever truly live?" There was a long stretching pause between them, threatening to swallow Alec whole.

Magnus shifted his gaze away from his boyfriend's face to the city below. "What do you think about this town?" Magnus asked, making Alec frown. After musing a while he answered, "You can feel it is old and full of history. It's warm and inviting. It's beautiful."

"Yes, it's old and beautiful," Magnus agreed. "But it's also young and was a place of one of the darkest times in history. The Nazis had their huge parades here, the racial laws were drafted in this very town, and the city was therefore levelled to the ground. They still find unexploded bombs on a regular basis." Alec took a deep breath, his face contemplative. 

"Most of the 'old' houses you see were rebuilt after the war, using old construction plans and such," Magnus recounted. "The top Nazis were tried for their crimes not far from where we are standing."

He turned his gaze back to Alec, softly gripping his chin to turn his face. For the first time since they arrived up there, Alec looked into Magnus' eyes. "You can build beauty out of debris. You can find joy after sorrow. There will be setbacks. Change isn't easy, but it's worth the fight." 

He softly laid his arms around the younger man's waist. "Our history is what made us the people we are today. But the people we are today will make the version of ourselves that we will be in the future. You've come so far in such a short time. And I feel honoured to be able to see your progression up close. You are strong and capable, passionate and caring. Our limitations don't define our value. But if you want to push through them I'll be right at your side to help you."

Alec looked down again. Under his breath, he asked, "It's so many things. Big and small. What if I can't?" Magnus sighed. "Let's deal with the duds whenever they cross our ways. Nuremberg wasn't rebuilt in one day either." The slaughtered quote made Alec chuckle and he leant into a soft kiss. He then pressed his forehead to Magnus' and they breathed the same air for a while. When they parted they both had a smile on their face.

"Ready for the best gingerbread in the world?" Magnus asked and Alec nodded enthusiastically. Later they carried heavy bags of Nuremberg Lebkuchen to the loft, faces warm from mulled wine, and Alec's heart a little bit lighter.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed it. :-)


End file.
